Win or lose Saturday, can Richt ever again feel safe at UGA?
"Let's try that play where we jump offside. That's working!" (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
The label “must-win” has affixed itself to the South Carolina game, but a more precise description is “darn-well-better-win.” There’s a chance an 0-2 Georgia could still make something of its season. Say the Bulldogs win nine of their next 10: Wouldn’t 9-3 with a strong finish coming after 6-7 be construed as, ahem, significant improvement? That said …
Beyond simply saving himself for next week or next season, can Mark Richt ever again be truly safe in this job?
When the second game of any season is deemed, however inexactly, a “must-win,” matters have already deteriorated. When something is so far gone, is there any going back? The Georgia-Tennessee game of Oct. 6, 2007, was considered a “must-win” for Philip Fulmer, and he won it 35-14 and rose from 2-2 to 9-3 and led the Vols to the SEC East title (shading Georgia on a tiebreaker). Great recovery, huh?
Reality check: Philip Fulmer was fired in November 2008.
The Fulmer parallel is often invoked regarding Richt, and it’s apt. Both men won big for a good long while. Both took two SEC championships. (Fulmer even won a BCS title, a prize for which Georgia under Richt has never played.) Then they stopped winning so much. Fans noticed. Fans began asking: “Is he still the right guy?”
When enough fans ask that loaded question enough times, games stop being games and become referendums on the coach. This week a man who has a finger on the pulse of Bulldog Nation estimated Richt’s job-approval rating at five percent. Should Georgia lose to South Carolina, what might the approval rating be? Two-point-five percent? Zero percent?
We need to ask this, too: Even if Georgia wins this game, will Richt’s doubters again become believers? Or will they just doubt a bit less until he loses again?
A coach cannot serve for long at the displeasure of his constituency: This has always been true, but it’s truer than ever in a world where the athletic director has an e-mail address and anyone with Internet access can post on Twitter and Facebook and AJC.com. With so much money in play and so many seats to fill, can any AD wage a protracted fight against the wishes of his fans?
Loading ...When C.M. Newton was in charge at Kentucky and folks were upset that Bill Curry wasn’t winning, the AD advised the dissidents to go find another school to support. Even with such administrative backing, Curry wound up resigning. When you lose so often that the roar of discontent drowns out the huzzahs raised in any victory, you’re a goner even before you actually go.
Richt is treading perilously close to that tipping point. Losing to Boise State mightn’t have been so bad on its face — the Broncos arrived ranked No. 5 in the land and were favored by Vegas — but the manner of the loss was devastating. This disjointed performance didn’t augur a new beginning; this was merely more of the same, which made it worse than ever. You sign the Dream Team and can’t stay onside? To borrow from Steve Spurrier’s famous 1991 dismissal: “Georgia gets all these recruits, but I don’t know what happens to them.”
Should Georgia lose to South Carolina, as coached by the dastardly Spurrier, Richt won’t resign on the spot or be fired on Sunday. He might still win enough to keep his job. (For another year, anyway.) But here’s the bigger issue: Even a win over the Gamecocks won’t convince many folks that the 51-year-old Richt remains the daring young man who Finished The Drill way back when.
It might take another SEC championship to do that. It might take a BCS title. And if, after Boise, you espy such glory on the horizon … well, count yourself among that five percent.
By Mark Bradley
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594 comments Add your comment
Damon Evans
September 9th, 2011
12:03 pm
Oh, and Grantham is stealing a pay check.
Big Red
September 9th, 2011
12:04 pm
The big problem with with the UGA fan is that they always whine and shoot themselves in the foot with recruiting with the negative attitude. The other teams love it when we whine and make the recruiting so easy. If this foolish behavior continues and he is fired and goes to another university I hope he kicks our tails to bring us back to reality.
bobdog
September 9th, 2011
12:05 pm
The reality is that a coach who has been at a program for over ten years will never win a National Championship for you. That is done in the first couple of years of a new coaching staff, just look at the last ten BCS winners, and look at their staffs. Richt and his staff have lost their fire for working long hours to put a tough well coached team on the field.That said, it is time to cut our loses and let Richt go.Time to get a new coach who will put more hours in to winning at least a East Championship for starters, instead of the 9 to 5 coaching staff we have now.
ColumbiaDawg
September 9th, 2011
12:05 pm
In college sports, perception is reality. If enough people believe it, it will become reality. That is what happened to Phil Fulmer and Tom Turbeville.
And this is now the problem that Richt faces. He dismisses Willie Martinez, and the best replacement that he come up with is Todd Grantham? Stacey Searles leaves for Texas, and the best replacement available is Will Friend? Top assistant coaches are not going to go to a school if they think the head coach will soon be replaced. That applies to recruits, also.
Troup Dawg
September 9th, 2011
12:05 pm
” A man CAN NOT serve two masters ” I think Richt has fallen into that chasm. Is it missions or coaching? It appears to me that Richt is trying to serve both but as the scripture reads you can’t and be effective at both. If he feels the Lord wants him in missions go do that, if coaching is your calling, then go and do that. But you can’t give 50% to both and expect or get 100% effectiveness from them.
I’m concerned that is why our Dawgs have lost their identity over the last several years. Top 10 recruiting to only be a mid-pack team at seasons end. I think he’s a man torn and it’s up to HIM if he wants to come back from the brink.
bart
September 9th, 2011
12:06 pm
It’s not that they lost but how they lost – they just didn’t look prepared. The offense and defense looked “same ol”. Confused and predictable. That’s ALL coaching. I’ve supported Richt in the past but somethings just not right in dawg land.
DawginLex
September 9th, 2011
12:06 pm
And don’t tell me it can’t be done
the plays being called are Richt’s playbook
richt had a better fell for when certain things needed to be done
just put the headset on coach, tell Bobo to coach Murray and after the game, explain it away by saying it was your decision and you thought it gave us the best chance to win.
Take your team back
Darth Visor.
September 9th, 2011
12:07 pm
I like to suck up gerbils with my butt.
VA DAWG
September 9th, 2011
12:07 pm
Wouldn’t it be great to see Bobo come out in a two tightend set (Charles and Lynch), one WR and Figgins and IC in the backfield and just pound the ball on the 250-260 DEs USCe has. When they load the box, run a bootleg with OC across the middle against their LBs….that would be nice.
Darth Visor.
September 9th, 2011
12:08 pm
Is Ric Flair still around? i would like to ride his Space Mountain anytime.
Herschel Talker
September 9th, 2011
12:08 pm
MB:
Excellent article. No he cannot; he is a dead man walking, and he has no one to blame but himself. He was not proactive in dealing with problems (e.g., Willie Martinez who should have been canned after ‘08).
Look, we all like Richt. He is a good man, and his presence in this world makes the world a better place. But he simply doesn’t have “it.” This has been apparent since Van Gorder left and the inmates began to run the asylum.
God bless Mark Richt as a person, but as a coach, I can say only one thing: FIRE MARK RICHT!!!
HT
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:08 pm
No! a win will not change my opinion unless we stop making horrible coaching decisions. We still can win because I believe we have superior players to SC. However, the coaching advantage goes to SC. Is it too much to ask that UGA can get a coach as good as Steve S. I don’t think he is the greatest coach at this point, but he makes CMR look very bad. When will CMR own up to horrible coaching decisions.
Hunk Erdown
September 9th, 2011
12:09 pm
I understand that we are donning our teenage mutant ninja turtle uniforms this week… can’t hardly wait.
mark
September 9th, 2011
12:11 pm
I’m afraid this is a valid point. We may be past the point of no return where he stays at the tipping point. McGarity has the tough job of deciding how long it can go on before pulling the trigger. UGA is extremely lucky to have Greg McGarity making that call…at least I hope that’s the case because I just remembered how Adams fired JD over Dooley’s advice to keep him.
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:11 pm
Mark Richt loves to blame his players on everything. According to Richt every loss he has ever had has been due to players not executing. Rarely does he admit that the coaches have not done a good job, which in my opinion is 95% of our problems. What a jerk! Blame a 18 year old that is busting his but!
SSIgator
September 9th, 2011
12:12 pm
So, this is the “cutting edge football” everybody has been waiting to see since January? How does someone who “knows what the hell he is doing” cash his paycheck with a straight face. What a bunch of suckers the UGA fans are.
Trojan
September 9th, 2011
12:13 pm
All CMR has to do is win. All CMR has to do is develop a legimate offensive game plan. Bobo’s flag football mentality is killing the football team.
Dave
September 9th, 2011
12:13 pm
People, Bobo is the problem. Bad play calling and adjustment making. And let’s face it, UGA has a much better chance of losing tomorrow than it does winning. South Carolina has a better team, with veteran players, that has played in the SEC Championship. They don’t necessarily have BETTER players, just more experienced ones. Do I see this as a “must win” game? No. Simply because I expect UGA to lose tomorrow. I hope I am sorely mistaken. Richard Samuel is not a beast. He’s a wasted hand off. Why wouldn’t they hand the ball to Crowell as many times as he can handle it? He averaged 4.4 yards a carry against Boise. Unless my math is off, that’s a first down every three carries. Get our speed out in space. Bu for the luvagawd, DON’T let Samuel carry the ball on an important play!
SSIgator
September 9th, 2011
12:13 pm
Having a bad day today Mark?
Trojan
September 9th, 2011
12:14 pm
But if he is fired, Schultz and the AJC will surely miss him
sidslid
September 9th, 2011
12:14 pm
I’ll say it first. Isaiah is the second coming of TJ Duckett. Herschel said on Colin Cowherd the other morning Georgia had an “OK” recruiting class. Me thinks he is talking about one guy in particular.
GaVolFan
September 9th, 2011
12:14 pm
As a UT alumni and fan, I would be careful what you wish for if you want to get rid of Richt. We kicked Fulmer to the curb and you’ve seen how that’s worked out in recent years for us.
Herm Edwards
September 9th, 2011
12:14 pm
I would look really good in your Red and Black.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 9th, 2011
12:15 pm
Dont be surprised when the Old Ball Coach loads the box to stop our 50 up the middle runs and 200 sideline passes
He will dare us to throw deep and cross his fingers they dont give up the big throw
Then he do just like boise with short passes but his advantage will be a great running back
By the end of the second QTR once again our defense being on the field too long will be worn out so then look for him to really open it up and try to pile on the points
Hopefully Richt has sobered up from drinking the Krptonite Kool-Aid, takes over the playcalling I what I wrote above never happens.
But my bet is on continued stubborness
Alabama | MrSEC.com
September 9th, 2011
12:16 pm
[...] reinstated to the Gator basketball team… Cody Larson has not.3. Win or lose on Saturday, can Mark Richt ever feel safe again at Georgia? (Our take: Nope. Once you lose a large chunk of the fanbase, only a national title can get them [...]
Charles D. Dawgtoast, Jr., Observer of College Football
September 9th, 2011
12:16 pm
It’s not so much that they now struggle to win . . . it’s that they embarrass a once-proud school with arrests, and late hits, and senseless showmanship, and lack of discipline on and off the field. The football product has been tarnished and will remain so as long as the players and coaches choose to demean the program with such behavior. A $750,000 coach doesn’t throw up a choke sign to a student athlete on the other sideline. That’s not Southern, that’s not genteel, that’s not classy, and that’s not supposed to be the way of the UGA football program. Richt has let the brand be dimininshed in the eyes of the nation, the region, the conference, and the UGA fans. Shame on him because he has the ultimate say-so on how the school is represented by his players and coaches. If the product is inferior he should be wary of continuance – and the product is laughable to any but the die-hard slobbering fanatic who lives the fantasy that the program is top-tier.
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:16 pm
trojan, give me one example of CMR developing a “legitimate offensive game plan” Actually I will help you out. the Tech game about 3 years ago weare we ran the ball up and down the feild. that worked great too bad we have not seen it again since. And it is not because of our players!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
September 9th, 2011
12:16 pm
who has the higher approval rating- Obama or Richt??
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 9th, 2011
12:17 pm
Herm Edwards
Please stay on ESPN and continue mouthing off crapp that you dont know what your talking about because you couldnt coach a high school team
rcb
September 9th, 2011
12:18 pm
The biggest difference between the Vince Dooley era (you remember- a cloud of dust and 2 or 3 yards) and today is this web site and this writer. Instant gratification is now the name of the game. Even if every thing said in the article were true, why wouldn’t you just let the season play out? Mr. Bradley wants to be the smartest man in the room and you can bet he will calim he has Mr. Richt’s scalp hanging as a trophy in his office if things work out the way it has been predicted. You can rest equally assured that if things don’t work out that way Mr. Richt won’t be holding his breath waiting on this author’s apology.
Rooster Roost
September 9th, 2011
12:18 pm
Get your excuses ready, mutts.
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:20 pm
rcb: Do you watch the UGA games? Do you think we are craetive and consistant on offense? If not what do you think will change? and when?
Jeff
September 9th, 2011
12:20 pm
You’re right…it’s not that we lost to Boise the number 5 team in the country….its HOW we lost
Charles D. Dawgtoast, Jr., Observer of College Football
September 9th, 2011
12:21 pm
My sanguine comments have been lost at filter. Pity.
UGA What What
September 9th, 2011
12:21 pm
Bobo’s problem is not calling the RIGHT play at the right time. He has this big problem of calling Draw plays on first down.
Herm Edwards
September 9th, 2011
12:21 pm
We play to win the game! Also I can safely say I have never had a flat tire on any road. I dont break down.
Vulture
September 9th, 2011
12:22 pm
Play SC a well fought, tight game and Richt is will not lose any more ground. Play SC the same as Boise and the pressure will increase greatly.
Greg
September 9th, 2011
12:22 pm
Let’s take that Tennessee analogy a little further. How have things gone with them since they got rid of Fulmer? You can’t lose 13 of 27 games at UGA and not be on the hot seat, but UGA fans could be in for a rough ride over the next few years even if a change is made.
Personally, I don’t believe the needed changes are correctable immediately. The OL recruiting has been disgraceful and the D-line talent is not up to par with the SEC’s elite either. Will the OL be better without Ben Jones and Cordy Glenn next year? I don’t think so and I’m being nice by saying that the current OL is not in the top half of the SEC. Richt got lazy with the coaching staff, hiring old buddies and ex-UGA players who didn’t have the resume’ for their jobs. Their job performance reflects that lack of qualification – Mike Bobo is to offensive coordinators what Ray Goff was to head coaches and Martinez should have never been hired as D-coordinator. That’s when Richt’s problems began and that’s why he’s currently in a position where he might not be able to survive over the long haul – because he promoted two immensely underqualified guys to run the offense and defense in Martinez and Bobo. Two guys who had ZERO experience in those positions prior to being given the coordinator jobs at UGA by Richt.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 9th, 2011
12:22 pm
We have so many issues that we cannot even agree on the issues. That my firend is never a good thing.
Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!
September 9th, 2011
12:23 pm
coachx and G-Buck
Its awfully difficult to play good defense when your offense runs only one minute off the clock and has back to back to back to back 3 and outs. You have to control the clock. A rested Defense is a good Defense. This falls on Bobo and ultimately Richt.
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:24 pm
LC Bulldog. Many issues? exactly. new leadership is needed.
Paul E. Anna
September 9th, 2011
12:24 pm
Where’s the support guys? Come on, let’s rally around the program. Every coach, including Bear Bryant, Barry Switzer, Tom Osborne, and even Urban Meyer, has had disappointing seasons. Richt will rise again! Who doesn’t believe that if Richt is let go (or even if he stays), that Texas, Penn State and even Alabama will come a calling for his services when its coach steps down.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 9th, 2011
12:25 pm
What are they saying in Austin about Mack Brown? He has to be feeling some heat.
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 9th, 2011
12:26 pm
For awhile the talented players overshadowed his lack of coaching skills. That’s not the case anymore. He needs to go if UGA is to ever be relevant again.
Lindsey
September 9th, 2011
12:27 pm
Like it or not CMR is our coach right now, and odds are he will be here for the rest of the season. I am tired of all the negative articles about him. It stinks to loose to Boise State, but it was only the first game of the season. Give CMR and our boys a chance. Why not focus on what they can do to improve and not make the same mistakes against the chickens Saturday? He is a good man and has done a lot of good for UGA, does anyone remember the Ponzi Scheme Donnan years?! I am looking forward to tomorrow back between the hedges, hoping the see a visor thrown a time or two, GO DAWGS!!!!
Charles D. Dawgtoast, Jr., Observer of College Football
September 9th, 2011
12:28 pm
A further observation from Charles Dawgtoast, Jr. . . . There are so many things that need to be fixed it is likely more than Coach Richt can deal with. McGarity relaxed his duties so Richt could concentrate on the football product he delivers each Saturday. I think he should be allowed to sink or swim with his own coaches and not have somebody like Grantham who was an “anybody but Martinez” pick and a pick out of desperation because so many, many, many, coaches had no interest or turned Richt down when offered. That’s how you get a guy like Grantham and he comes at $750,000 per. Yes, Coach Richt is on a very hot seat and it is of his own making.
Smokedawg
September 9th, 2011
12:29 pm
This reminds me a bit of Penn State. I recall Jo Pa finding voodoo dolls hung with a noose on his door, his yard being trashed, and people screaming for his head at all times. He followed that up with some pretty stellar years thanks to Larry Johnson.
Granted, Mark Richt is not Jo Pa and Penn State has been in a bit of limbo the last few years. Actually, my post probably has very little to do with Richt as a good analogy, but Penn State did bounce back and had some very good years after it got viscious after two very bad seasons for Penn State.
With that being said, and to remain totally inconsistent, I am ready for a change at Georgia.
Out of Town
September 9th, 2011
12:32 pm
The bottom-line problem is the career record vs. Florida. Period.
Antoine Carr
September 9th, 2011
12:33 pm
Paul: the fans would feel differently if we felt that CMR had aclue as to what to do. OR If he had a plan of change that he was following. None of that is apparent. He plan is to work his butt off. Great! what the hell has he been doing the last few years. enough is enough
Vince
September 9th, 2011
12:35 pm
Good luck Saturday my Dawgs.